Friends of Footprints resources

Friends are supporters who sign-up to support our work on an on-going basis.

We ask friends to give a minimum of £120 a year to support our work.

That's less than the cost of a cup of coffee a week

In the current challenging circumstances our service is supporting the most vulnerable in society

Approximately 25% of our service users are elderly or disabled and at increased risk of infection

Over one third are woman or men living with domestic violence with isolation increasing the risk of attacks

All are surviving on benefits and many are struggling to access food.

Need for our service is increasing. In just one day we are receiving multiple emergency calls from across Dorset and Hampshire

Sharon received a phone call from a woman in Dorset fleeing domestic violence and in fear of her life. She had climbed onto a roof top to try to escape her attacker. Sharon talked calmly to the woman on the phone whilst calling the police. They arrested her partner who has been charged with sexual and domestic abuse.

An hour later Amy received a phone call from a service user in Hampshire who was threatening suicide. He hung up but she was able to reach him by text and notify probation who put in support.

Most read

Life Works is a partnership with Parkstone United Reformed Church offering basic skills training, volunteer opportunities and work experience to vulnerable people including, but not limited to, ex-offenders and people suffering from mental health or addiction problems. Support to overcome barriers to work and build self-esteem is also provided.

We offer mentoring and practical support for those who are living in or are returning to live in Dorset, and Hampshire. Staff will visit people in prison to assess their needs around housing, education training and employment, finance and debt, mental and physical health, substance misuse, families and children as well as attitudes, thinking and behaviour. The staff will then co-produce an action plan for release with the client.

Our volunteers come from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds, faiths and ages. Each has their own reason for volunteering including a chance to give back and support those less fortunate, to share my life experience and skills, to make a difference, to gain skills or experience to enable students to progress to a career in support or criminal justice services, a chance to expand their horizons and meet new people or to help us fundraise to keep the work going.

Our vision is to build stronger, more integrated local communities by providing person centered support for offenders or those who are at risk of offending, reducing reoffending and increasing life chances.
46% of all prisoners will re-offend within a year of release. For those serving short custodial sentences and young offenders this raises to over 80%.